Gas generator



s. P. J. EINANEN 2,513,943

GAS GENERATOR Filed Dec. 20, '1947 un/um.

i PM! W w 7W i Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAS GENERATOR Sulo Paavo Johannes Keinanen, Helsinki, Finland Application December 20, 1947, Serial No. 792,875

In Sweden November 16, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires November 16, 1963 7 Claims.

'wood in them as fuel, but these attempts have not led to desired results, because when heating raw wood 50 great quantities of distillates develop that the heat in the fire chamber is not sumcient to decompose them into hydrogen and oxygen. Moreover, the penetration of the distillates into the fire chamber reduces its temperatureso greatly that in the case of gas generators it has not been possible to generate gas that would be fit for use.

According to the present invention the device in which extremely wet fuel is desired to be used, must be provided with a fuel container having a compartment that is kept as cold as possible and so placed that the heat radiating from the fire chamber cannot influence it, and in which compartment there is a chance for the steam and vapors developed to condense against the cold surfaces and/or against the fuel material. Secondly, the bottom of the fuel container must be constructed so that it prevents the steam that has condensed against the walls of the fuel container and/or upon the fuel material in the cold compartment from leaking into the fire chamber. In applying these principles to such a gas generator, heating oven or other like device showing the lower part of a fuel container of a gas generator in central vertical section.

.In the drawing I is a fire chamber of a gas generator, 2 the space wherein the fuel is preheated or the so-called pre-heating room, 3 is the fuel container, the lower part of which is '6 of the pre-heating room 2.

' tillate container 9.

shown in the drawing. The pre-heating room 2 is surrounded by a chamber 4, through which the generated gas fiows on its way to the exhaust pipe 5. When flowing the gas forms the wall v The wall 6 slopes funnel-like onto the fire chamber I and is actually an inclined feeding chute which forms a part of the bottom of the fuel container. The rest of the bottom is marked with 1. Above the part 1 is placed a distillate grate 8. The horizontal distance between the upper edge of the inclined wall or feeding chute 6 of the preheating room 2 and the wall'of the fuel container 3 is marked with a. The distance a must be considerable, preferably at least 510 cm., in order that the heat which develops partly in the fire chamber 1 and partl even in the lower part of the pre-heating room 2 may not heat the distillate grate, nor the bottom beneath it nor the fuel layer on the grate 8 too much, all of which must act as condensers for the steam and vapors developed. The distance a must be considerable also in order to obtain an insulating layer sufiicient to prevent the heat developed by the generator from passing into the open air through the wall of the fuel container; The distillate grate 8 preferably slopes toward the upper part of the pre-heating room 2, in order to lead the fuel into the fire chamber. The bottom part I of the fuel container slopes outward, so that the distillates leaking through the distillate grate or along the walls be prevented from passing into the fire chamber. Along the bottom part 1 the distillates run to the farthest or the lowest and at the same time the coolest portion of the bottom, wherefrom they pass into the dis- The gas generator operates as follows: The heat developed in the fire chamber and the generated gases warm the fuel in the pre-heating room 2, so that the moisture evaporates from the fuel and condenses on the walls and/or on the fuel layer supported by the distillate grate 8. The distillates condense partially also against the fuel in the space above the pre-heating room. The distillates, condense partially also against temperature evaporate anew, and partly pass upward to condense again and partly enter the 2,518,943 f f j, 1

1 3 distillates fiow through this layer and the distillate grate 8 onto the bottom part I which leads them into the container 9. In such a way a part of the entire amount of moisture leaves the generator and a part flows into the fire chamber, decomposing into hydrogen and oxygen, thus accelerating the combustion and raising the heat value of the generated gas. Inasmuch as fuel like wood contains considerably more water.

than what the temperature in the fire chamber can decompose into hydrogen and oxygen, it is important that the excessive part of the water be prevented from entering the fire chamber of the generator. How much water in each case is to be removed depends of course on the humidity of the fuel used.

From the foregoing it is clear that the fuel layer supported by the distillate grate 8 operates as a condenser of the steam and other vapors, as an accumulator of moisture, as a regulator of the amount of steam and vapors entering the fire chamber and as a discharger of excess water. By dimensioning the fuel container of the generator in a suitable way, one can arrange that into the fire chamber continually fiows just the amount of steam and vapors that is most advantageous for the formation of hydrogen, no matter how wet the fuel used is. This gives, the great advantage that has not been attained by using gas generators constructed according to the principles sofar considered as being the only right ones. The experiments made have shown that the generators according to this invention produce excellent gas, even if the humidity of the fuel is very great, as is the case in newly cut live wood, which as such can be used as fuel in the gas generator according to this invention.

'The invention offers in addition the advantage that the surfaces of the gas coolers and purifiers need not be so large as in the generators thus far known, because the steam and vapors con dense already in the fuel container andnot alone in the coolers and purifiers.

The form of construction shown above is naturally intended only to illustrate the spirit of the invention. The forms of construction can vary considerably within the frame of this invention. Thus, in so far as a distillate grate is used, it need not be just in the position shown in the drawing: the main idea being that it permits only the distillates to pass through, but not the fuel.

"claim is:

l. A gas generator or heating stove adaptedfor burning Wood or other damp fuel and having a space for collecting distillates derived from said fuel, said gas generator comprising 'a fire chamber wherein the fuel is to be burned; air inlet means disposed about and above the fire chambeer to supply air downwardly through the latter chamber; a fuel supply chamber located above the fire chamber and the air inlet means and in open communication therewith, said fuel supply 4 chamber comprising at least one inclined fuel supporting section extending and diverging outwardly from the top of the fire chamber and adapted to be heated by the gases escaping from said fire chamber, and said inclined fuel supporting section being adapted to both support a portion of the fuel bed and also to allow distillates to pass said inclined fuel supporting section to saidspace for collecting said distillates beyond said inclined fuel supporting section.

2. A gas generator or heating stove adapted forburning wood or other damp fuel and having a space for collecting distillates derived from said fuel, saidgas generator comprising a fire chamber wherein the fuel is to be burned; air inlet means disposed about and above the fire chamber to supply air downwardly through the latter chamber; a fuel supply chamber located above the fire chamber and the air inlet means and in open communication therewith, said fuel supply chamber comprising an inclined feeding chute extending and diverging outwardly from the top of" the fire chamber and adapted to be heated by the gases escaping from said fire chamber; and a grate section extending outwardly and upwardly from the outer edge of the inclined feeding chute,-the latter and said grate section being adapted to both support a portion of the fuel bed and also to allow distillates to pass said inclined feeding chute and through said grate section to said space for collecting said distillates beyond said inclined feeding chute and grate section.

3. A gas generator or heating stove adapted for burning wood or other damp fuel and having a space for collecting distillates derived from said fueLsaid gas generator comprising a fire chamber wherein the fuel is to be burned; air inlet means disposed about and above the fire chamber to supply air downwardly through the latter chamber; a fuel supply chamber located above the fire chamber and the air inlet means and in open communication therewith, said fuel supply chamber comprising an inclined feeding chute slanting upwardly and outwardly from the top of thefire chamber and adapted to be heated by the gases escaping from said fire chamber; and a grate section extending outwardly and upwardly from the outer edge of the inclined feed- 'section to said space for collecting said distillates beyond-said inclined feeding chute and grate section. y

4. A gas generator or heating stove adapted for burning wood or other damp fuel and having a space for collecting distillates derived from said fuel, said gasgenerator comprising a fire cham ber wherein the fuel is to be burned; air inlet means disposed about and above the fire chamber to supply .airdownwardly through the latter from the .top of the fire chamber and adapted .to be heated by the gases escaping from said fire chamber; and an annular grate section extending outwardly and upwardly from the outer edge of the inclined annular feeding chute, the

.latter .and said annular grate section being adapted to both support a portion of the fuel bed and also to allow distillates to pass said inclined annular feeding chute and through said annular grate sections to said space for collecting said distillates beyond said inclined annular feeding chute and annular grate section.

5. A gas generator or heating stove, adapted for burning wood or other damp fuel, comprising a fire chamber wherein the fuel is to be burned, an upwardly extending bounding wall at least partly defining air inlet means disposed about and above the fire chamber to supply air downwardly through the latter chamber; a fuel supply chamber located above the fire chamber and the air inlet means and in open communication therewith, said fuel supply chamber comprising at least one inclined fuel-supporting section or feeding chute extending upwardly and outwardly from the top of the fire chamber to a predetermined distance from said bounding wall and adapted to be heated by the gases escaping from said fire chamber; a downwardly and outwardly sloping wall extending from the outer upper edge of the inclined fuel-supporting section or feeding chute to the lower portion of said bounding wall for receiving and guiding distillates away from said fuel-supporting section or feeding chute; and means for collecting the distillates from the downwardly and outwardly sloping wall beyond said fuel-supporting section or feeding chute, the latter being adapted both to support at least a portion of the fuel bed and also to allow distillates to pass said fuel-supporting section or feeding chute to said downwardly and outwardly sloping wall within said bounding wall.

6. A gas generator or heating stove, adapted for burning wood or other damp fuel, comprising a fire chamber wherein the fuel is to be burned, an upwardly extending bounding wall at least partly defining air inlet means disposed about and above the fire chamber to supply air downwardly through the latter chamber; a fuel upply chamber located above the fire chamber and the air inlet means and in open communication therewith, said fuel supply chamber comprising an inclined feeding chute slanting upwardly and outwardly from the top of the fire chamber to a predetermined distance from said bounding wall and adapted to be heated by the gases escaping from said fire chamber; a downwardly and outwardly sloping wall extending from the outer upper edge of the inclined feeding chute to the lower portion of said bounding wall for receiving and guiding distillates away from said inclined feeding chute; a second grate section extending outwardly and upwardly from the outer upper edge of aid inclined feeding chute above the downwardly and outwardly sloping wall to said bounding wall and means for collecting the distillates from said outwardly and downwardly sloping wall beyond said inclined feeding chute and grate section, the latter being adapted both to support a portion of the fuel bed and also to allow the distillates to pass said inclined feeding chute and through said grate section to aid downwardly and outwardly sloping wall within said bounding wall.

'7. A gas generator or heating stove, adapted for burning wood or other damp fuel, comprising a fire chamber wherein the fuel is to be burned, an upwardly extending annular bounding wall at least partly defining air inlet means disposed about and above the fire chamber to supply air downwardly through the latter chamber; a fuel supply chamber located above the fire chamber and the air inlet means and in open communication therewith, said fuel supply chamber comprising an inclined annular feeding chute slanting upwardly and outwardly from the top of the fire chamber to a predetermined distance from said annular bounding wall and adapted to be heated by the gases escaping from said fire chamber; a downwardly and outwardly annular sloping wall extending from the outer upper edge of the inclined annular feeding chute to the lower portion of said annular bounding wall for receiving and guiding distillates away from said inclined annular feeding chute; an annular grate section extending outwardly and upwardly from the outer upper edge of said inclined annular sULo PAAVO JOHANNES KEINANEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Aug. 14, 1930 Number 

